Daughters
by HopelessRomantic225
Summary: OCOH challenge. Abby and John attend their only daughters wedding. Short and sweet.


April/May Challenge

Daughters

A/N: OCOH challenge for April/May. AU – set in the future. Includes a chocolate obsession, a childhood memory, and an old cast member returning.

* * *

ABBY'S POV

"Ok mom… How does this look?" April stepped out of the dressing room, and everyone in the room gasped. My daughter, only 22 years old, looked radiant. My breath was caught in my throat as I struggled for words. But no words could describe how beautiful she looked. Her long blonde hair was flowing over her shoulders, and her bright brown eyes danced with happiness under her veil.

"April Julia Carter… I have never in my life seen a more beautiful bride… You look fantastic…" was all I could manage to say. She smiled at me, and twirled in a circle. She giggled. "Um, April, could I get a moment alone with you for just a sec? I want to have a few… last words with you before you go out in front of all those people. You know, a mother-daughter sorta thing."

"Of course, Mom. Girls, could you give me and my mother just a minute? Thanks…" she ushered the bridesmaids out of the room, leaving just the two of us.

"So… I never would have thought I'd be here…" April confessed. She began twisting a strand of hair around her finger. "I mean, Matt has always been my best friend, you know? Ever since we were, like what, four? He moved in next door, and we were inseparable ever since."

"Yeah… I remember back when you were around 13 or 14 when you told me you had feelings for him… you wanted to forget it, but I knew this would turn into something," I said. I pulled up another chair and sat down next to her.

"You did?"

"Of course. You had so much in common, he knew everything about you, your father just adored him…" she laughed. "You're like a match made in heaven."

"You think so…?" She smiled.

"Yeah. I do." I stood up to leave, and April stood with me.

"Hey Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ready to let me go?" I smiled. She hugged me before staring deep into my aging eyes.

"No. But I am ready to share you with Matt."

"Mrs. April Bauer… It _does_ have a nice ring to it…"

"Yeah. It does. Now, as much as I hate to leave, I need to go meet up with your father so we can take our seats. I love you, honey. You and Matty belong together." I sighed.

"I know, ma. I know," she whispered.

* * *

JOHN'S POV

"So, Matt… Are you ready to marry my daughter?" I said as I finished fixing my tie. He chuckled, and scratched his blonde hair.

"Yes sir… I am. But the real question is: Are _you _ready for me to marry your daughter?" he chuckled again, and straightened his tie.

I thought for a moment, and tried to come up with a good answer to that question. I couldn't find one. I just decided to settle for: "I'm not sure."

As the rest of the guys filed out of the room to take their places, I kept Matt behind for a few extra minutes. You know, man-to-man.

"Matt, are you sure you're ready? You're really young and trying to get through med-school…"

"Dr. Carter, I'm the same age as April. Besides, she is too. We're going through it together."

"Ok, first of all, how many times do I have to tell you to call me JOHN? I've been telling you that since you were about nine…"

"I know, I'm sorry… John…Ok, that feels _really_ weird…" He sat down, and scratched his neck again. I rolled my eyes, but grinned at the same time, and sat next to him.

"It's ok. Call me whatever you like. And you know what?"

"What?"

"You can even call me Dad. I never had a son of my own, only April, and it would be nice."

"Re-Really? I can call you Dad?" He stood up, and gazed at me incredulously. I smiled, and looked down.

"Yes. You didn't have a father, although yours thinks he is one. I don't know why your mother didn't leave him years ago, but that's beside the point. You're like a son to me, Matt. Always have been, really. I couldn't be putting April in better hands." Silence overtook the room, and when I looked up, Matt was glowing. I stood up, and when he went to shake my hand, I hugged him instead. He had earned it.

"Hey, the ceremony is about to start. I gotta go find Abby so we can take our seats. Good luck." I walked out the door, feeling happier than I had in days.

* * *

ABBY'S POV

I spotted John waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I walked up to him, and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, you ready?" he asked. I nodded. We went to find our seats, and the music began to play. I saw Susan sneak in as the first pair walked slowly down the aisle. She sat behind us, and tapped my shoulder.

"Hey, sorry I'm late! Kelly broke up with her boyfriend and needed a bit of consoling. She told me to tell you and John and April that she's sorry she couldn't make it, but she's in California modeling for some shoe company, or what-not…"

"It's ok, Susan. Your daughter shouldn't be apologizing to me or to my family. That modeling will take her somewhere, she's gorgeous." Susan stifled a chuckle.

"I knew it since the day she was born." I smiled, and Susan leaned back in her chair. _One bridesmaid/groomsmen couple down, 6 more to go, _I thought.

"Hey, Abby?" John whispered in my ear.

"Yeah?" I replied back.

"We always knew she would marry Matt, didn't we?" I grinned.

"Yeah, John. We did."

* * *

_FLASHBACK -ABBY'S POV_

"_Mommy! Guess what?" April jumped up and down on my bed, jolting John and I awake. _

"_What's up, baby?" John muttered while rubbing his eyes. I glanced at the clock. It read 7:02 a.m._

"_There's a new family across the street. They have a little boy my age, and a puppy, too! Can I go meet him?" she giggled. _

"_Sure, honey." I waved her off, and fell straight back asleep. I was a month pregnant, and felt extremely exhausted. _

_LATER_

"_Mommy, this is Matt. Matthew Aaron Bauer, to be exact, but he goes by Matt." I was snuggled on the couch reading when April came in. She was holding hands with a blonde boy, about her age. He had bright blue eyes, and an adorable smile. _

"_Hi, Mrs. Carter. I think your daughter is very pretty…" April blushed, and the two ran off together into the yard. I smiled, and continued reading my book. I just knew something would happen between them someday._

_NIGHTTIME – AROUND 2:00 A.M._

_I awoke from my dreamless sleep when a sharp pain shot through me. I clutched my stomach, and breathed deeply. I tried calling out to John, but he wasn't there. I finally got the strength to open my eyes and look down. There was blood seeping through my sheets, and I passed out._

_I remember waking up in the hospital, with John at my side. April was asleep on a tiny cot in the corner of the room. I started to cry, realizing what had happened just from the look on John's face. He was devastated, and so was I. I remember talking with him before I went to bed about my chocolate craving. I knew it was a girl that I had just lost. I knew it. The chocolate cravings meant a girl, as John and I had discussed four years prior. I felt almost numb as I drifted back to sleep. John was saying something about a hysterectomy, and that's all I remember._

_9YEARS LATER_

"_Mom…Can I talk to you for a second?" April asked. We were just getting ready for bed, and she was coming home from Matt's house. They were doing homework together, so I let her stay out a little later than usual._

"_Sure. What's up?" she blushed profusely, and sat down on the bed next to me. John was working the night shift at the ER, so I was sleeping by myself tonight. _

_April wrung her hands together, and looked at everything in the room except for me._

"_What's wrong, April? Is everything okay?"_

"_I don't think so, Mom… You see, I think… I think I have a crush on a friend of mine. He's the sweetest guy I have ever met, and I don't know what to do… I really, _really _like him… I just don't want to ruin our friendship, you know?" She was almost in tears._

"_Is it Matt?"_

_She nodded._

"_Go for it." I said simply. She looked at me, stunned._

"_What?"_

"_Go for it. I knew this day would come sooner or later. I guess it just came sooner rather than later. He likes you, too. I can tell…"_

"_Really…?"_

"_Yeah, totally."_

_She smiled, and threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight. "Thanks, Mom. I love you, goodnight!" And then she was out the door. I just chuckled to myself, and turned out the lights._

_7YEARS LATER_

"_Mom? Dad? Matt and I have something to tell you…" April was standing in front of us in our living room. John and I knew what they were going to say, but we wanted to go along with it anyway._

"_Go on…" he said. Looking Matt up and down, as he held April's hand._

"_Mom, Dad… I guess there's no better way to put this then… I'm pregnant."_

"_WHAT!"I shouted.I stood up from our couch, andmy mouth dropped. April couldn't hold it in any longer, and busted out laughing. I playfully smacked her arm, which made her laugh even harder._

"_I can't even believe you would do that! That's horrible, April!" I laughed along with her and everyone else._

"_Ma… you should have… the look on your face… priceless!" she now had tears rolling down her cheeks. "But really, Mom. We're engaged. That's the real news. But I know you know that."_

"_What? How?"_

"_I saw you snooping through my mail when I asked you to get it for me. I was faking that sprained ankle! I knew you would snoop, see the bridal magazine, and we could pull this joke. It was all Matt's idea!" I glared at my future son-in-law, and instead of being mad, I congratulated him on his brilliant plan. He told me John knew about it all along. I would get him later._

_END OF FLASHBACKS_

* * *

I grinned as the last pair walked down the aisle, and stood as my daughter began her walk to the altar. Tears welled in my eyes, and John held my shoulder. My daughter really was beautiful. I glanced at all the bridesmaids and groomsmen that I hadn't seen, due to my short trip down Memory Lane. Neela and Gallant's daughter, Maya, was up there, and Susan's youngest daughter, Katelyn, was too. With those two inpale pink gowns, and their hair tied up in a bun, they looked radiant.

The priest began speaking, and I, once again, was launched into another flashback.

* * *

_FLASHBACK - 22 years ago_

"_John?" I asked while eating a chocolate bar. I was sitting at the counter in the kitchen while John was fixing dinner. I was 8 months pregnant, and ready to pop._

"_Yeah?"_

"_After dinner can you run to the store and buy me some more chocolate? I have a weird craving for it all of a sudden…" I rubbed my belly, and gazed down at my Snickers bar happily._

"_Sure, Abby. You know, I think you're having a girl…" he said, while pouring in the sauce._

"_Why's that?" I asked, still rubbing my belly._

"_Well, Neela and Michael just had a baby girl, right?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_And so did Susan?"_

"_Yeah… but what does that have to do with chocolate cravings?"_

"_They both had them. And badly, too. Poor Gallant had to run out at 2:30 a.m. to get Neela chocolate or else she would break his Medals of Honor."_

"_No way! She said that?" He laughed._

"_Yeah. And Susan told me she didn't have those chocolate cravings when she was pregnant with Cosmo, only with Kelly."_

"_Wow… that's strange. I hope I don't have a girl…I mean, I want it to be healthy and all, but…"_

"_But what? I didn't know you cared…" He started stirring the noodles, while looking at me intensely. I looked down at the countertop feeling ashamed and guilty._

"_Well, girls are so much harder to deal with. I never had that great of a mother-daughter relationship with my mom, you know, and it just seems like I would be happier with a boy…" He sighed. _

"_Well, I don't care what it is, as long as it's healthy. I actually wouldn't mind having a girl. She would look like you…" I blushed, and continued consuming my Snickers bar. _

_END OF FLASHBACK_

* * *

And as the priest said his final words, "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride," I finally let the tears I had been holding back for so long, fall. As my daughter and her wonderful husband kissed, I whispered to John, "Maybe having a daughter wasn't so bad after all." He smiled, kissed my hand, and said: "I agree."

* * *


End file.
